Very bad behavior

[nobarkus]

@basenjiprince:

well sept is time for check up so i guess i will get that in the works…. i have to put a muzzle on him at the vet bc he doesnt know them well enough. i love him and his personality to death but i just want to cry!

I understand so let's try to be patient and we'll try to help you. I just got my 4th Basenji named Buddy. He's 9 months old. Anyway let's keep this tread going because there's more people here that can offer suggestions and help as well. We want to help you solve this and not get rid of Buddi. OK?

[basenjiprince]

thanks i really appreciate it. I am going to get new treats and start working with him more. show him more attention. try to get up and play with him outside in mornings to calm him down… we will see how it goes. In the mean time any other comments or suggestions would be wonderful!!! i appreciate everyone who has commented so far!

[tanza]

So, I am a bit confused… Are you saying you have had him for 5 yrs and he has been doing this for 5yrs? Or did I get something mixed up?

[Schouiffy]

FIRST: Nobarkus is spot on, take him to the vet and get a full blood panel - it could be a thyroid problem. There are a few threads explaining this on the forum

IT sounds like there are some serious training mishaps that happened along the way with this dog. Remember that your stress about the situation does transfer to the dog, so if you want to make significant changes in his behavior you need to sit down and see how you guys have molded him the past 5 years. For example: When he was growing up, did you allow him to always sleep in the bed with you and never sleep alone?? If so, you can't fault him for eliminating all over the floor because he wasn't trained to sleep with out you two. That's not fair, and he will not understand why you are angry at his actions because in his mind, all his past history tells him he sleeps with the pack, not being with the pack all of a sudden is scary, even for one night. Finding solutions to your dog problems usually needs to start with reflection on how he learned the behavior - when did it start, what is happening when the dog does something you don't like etc.

At 5 years old, I'm certain you could ease the anxiety but I would be very surprised if you could make it go away completely. He sounds like he needs to be re-crate trained, but keep in mind some Basenjis never accept crating later on in life and need other accommodations (ie, an x pen, or doggie daycare)A DAP defuser or collar could help, you can order them online or ask your vet. I completely agree that exercise can GREATLY reduce the stress your dog feels when he is alone, primarily because he is tired. If you have the time and the resources you might consider adopting a female buddy for him to play with him and keep him company. Go and get "I'll be Home Soon" a book about separation anxiety - in fact brushing up on some dog behavior literature works wonders in communicating with your dog and modifying his behavior because you BOTH understand each other better (Patricia B. McConnell has many excellent books).

[basenjiprince]

no he peeid and was a bit destructive but it has gotten really bad in the last few months. its like he gets mad that we leave him. before i could just talk to him and tell him i would be back soon and he wouldnt pee. now it doesnt matter what i say he bites the cage door and growls at me. and i am the one who always puts him up bc my husband is gone by that time. so i put him up in the morning, let him out on lunch put him back up then my husband lets him out in the afternoon.

[Kananga]

@tanza:

So, I am a bit confused… Are you saying you have had him for 5 yrs and he has been doing this for 5yrs? Or did I get something mixed up?

That's what I was wondering.

If this has been going on for 5 years, that is some impressive tolerance. :eek:

DAP Diffuser might be worth trying. It has helped my B at times, but he still occasionally chews on furniture while I'm gone. I wouldn't dare crate him during the day. I can place the wire crate on the granite floors (the only thing that is indestructible when it comes to Basenjis :D), but he takes his frustration out by trying to chew on the wire crate and I worry he will break/chip a tooth.

[jonny b.]

We have to b's that hate their crates. Jonny came in january. chewed holes in the crate but had almost stopped. then we got hansel in may and he HATES his crate. at the moment, they have both eaten 3 of the 4 crates we have. so we took the small crates we have and put them inside the larger crates we have. they are both DOUBLE crated. so the holes in the smaller crates dont match up with the holes in the larger ones. Jonny started chewing again i think because hansel gets so worked up he bothers jonny. but the vet put hansel on anxiety meds. He thought hansel was way beyond the dap. so he started out on 3 pills a day,and that was toooo much. 2 worked better and now we are down to 1. they are about 20 cents each. pretty cheap. i also put a bone called CHEW LOTTA . got it at walmart. both dogs get diarehha very easy (which i give them 7.5 ml at a time for as per the vet.)these bones dont seem to cause them much tummy upset and the take forever to chew up. THEY LOVE THEM. just know you are not alone and we have experienced the same things, maybe just not as sever or as long. we also just built a 10x10x6 out door kennel with roof of 4x2 wire and cement blocks around the bottom to make it escape proof. and the lock is at the top. boy, we must love our dogs. you ARE NOT alone.

[nobarkus]

@tanza:

So, I am a bit confused… Are you saying you have had him for 5 yrs and he has been doing this for 5yrs? Or did I get something mixed up?

Something wrong here as she said 5 years but he's only 2.

[basenjiprince]

no he will be 5 in dec, Dec 16th… so almost 5 years we have dealt with the crate issue. I havent been to this site in a long time so none of my info had been update... that info was from 2006. sorry

[nobarkus]

@basenjiprince:

no he will be 5 in dec, Dec 16th… so almost 5 years we have dealt with the crate issue.

Wow 5 years! OK, first I would get the blood work up done and a physical. You know getting the thyroid checked is tricky as a regular vet may not do a complete test and say everything is OK when it's not. The best thing to do is send a sample to Dr Dodds as she is very through and knows the Basenji.

http://www.apubasenjis.com/bhealth.html

[agilebasenji]

I think you need to find a behaviorist DVM and ask about some anti-anxiety drugs. It sounds like this is a bigger problem than rescue remedy or DAP will/can address. Once he's feeling better, you can start re-training him. For crate issues, try the dvd Crate Games, but if he's crate phobic, you'll need the drugs BEFORE you start the training program. Otherwise, you may want to look into a doggie-daycare.

[lvoss]

This sounds like a dog that is very stressed. He has had a major life change, the move 2 weeks ago, and it sounds like he already had some anxiety issues prior to that. First, you need to rule out medical issues but if there is nothing wrong physically, you may need to consult a veterinary behaviorist.

I would also recommend going back to basics with crate training.
http://askdryin.com/movies/CrateDogLR.pdf

There is also Patricia McConnell's book on separation anxiety, http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/product/dog-separation-anxiety

Any solution is also going to require time to work on the issue.

[nobarkus]

OK, 1 step at a time and I think if you do some of the suggestions given here Melissa you can help turn Buddi around. Let's just start with the physical first.

[Basenjimamma]

I've got to ask, not for any other reason but I think it is good to know..can you retrain a dog that clearly seems to be this crate phobic? If he has been having issues with the crate for almost 5 years, is there anything else that could be used to contain him, but isn't a crate? I guess I am thinking about an exer-pen or the like..Would it work?

[tanza]

@agilebasenji:

I think you need to find a behaviorist DVM and ask about some anti-anxiety drugs. It sounds like this is a bigger problem than rescue remedy or DAP will/can address. Once he's feeling better, you can start re-training him. For crate issues, try the dvd Crate Games, but if he's crate phobic, you'll need the drugs BEFORE you start the training program. Otherwise, you may want to look into a doggie-daycare.

I think this is exactly right on… While ruling out the medical issues a behaviorist can begin to help with the behavior, especially if this has been going on for all this time....

[tanza]

@Basenjimamma:

I've got to ask, not for any other reason but I think it is good to know..can you retrain a dog that clearly seems to be this crate phobic? If he has been having issues with the crate for almost 5 years, is there anything else that could be used to contain him, but isn't a crate? I guess I am thinking about an exer-pen or the like..Would it work?

All depends on the dog…. some you can, some will never be OK in a crate... some might be OK sometimes, sometimes not....

[kiroja]

Wow, kudos to you for working with your boy for all these years! I'm sure your patience has been tested so much, but don't give up! Many great suggestions have already been said, and I'm sure I'm repeating some, but I'll throw out my ideas too.

First rule out any medical issues. Like others mentioned, thyroid can cause behavioral issues. You'll need to run a full panel, not the in-house tests. They'll need to be sent to places like MSU or Antech. Also check with your vet and a behaviorist about anti-anxiety meds. This sounds a lot like some severe separation anxiety. A good behaviorist would be a nice consult anyways.

As far as some changes you can make around the house, I would try the DAP products that release a calming type chemical. This may not help as much, and you may need a stronger prescription type med like others mentioned, but it's at least worth a try. Also do you have room in your kitchen for a 4x4 X-pen? He might not have as much issues if he's got some room to move around, especially if part of his behavioral problem is crate phobia. Or at least he'll be less likely to mash his mess all over the floor with extra room. You'll need to get a top for the X-pen as I'm sure he'll figure how to get out easily, but once you put a top on it they're fairly sturdy. You can buy some cheap linoleum roll at places like Hope Depot that you can put down on top of your kitchen floor or any other surface where you need to put his crate/pen. That will keep him from destroying your "real" flooring at least. You can put a crate or half a crate in a pen as a den or bed, and you could even try putting in a litter box of sorts to see if he'd bother using it, since he tends to go to the bathroom. You can fill a big cat litterbox with shredded newspaper or wood pellets for a potty area.

Also try to put some interesting and time consuming treats in there to keep him busy. Frozen marrow bones, and kongs filled with stuff (dog biscuits, cream cheese, peanut butter, etc.) and you can freeze them too. Whatever you can find that will be safe for him to chew on and tasty.

Sometimes adding another dog can make all the difference in the world. With a buddy, he might be so much happier. HOWEVER, it sounds like you have less and less time these days so it might not be the wisest idea. If you do add another dog sometimes it's easier than one, but you have to be prepared for it to be even more work!

And of course exercise exercise exercise! I can't stress that enough. The more you can get Buddi tired, the better he will be. I know it's hard to find time with a busy work schedule, but try to sqeeze time in in the morning and night to walk him. Even better (and easier for you) would be biking him. It will tire him out quicker than just a stroll down the block. He might need to run for a few miles to work out some of that stress. And you could even look into something like weight pulling where he's going on walks with you but dragging a little weight as well which will wear him out. Also mental stimulation will help wear him out. Try to find an obedience or rally class to take him to between your busy schedule. Learn some training exercises you can do at home and work with him when you have a few minutes of downtime in the house. Also make him work for everything he gets. Like make him sit and do a few tricks before giving him his meals, etc. Not sure if you or your husband have any free time on the weekends, but you could look into trying some lure coursing with him if there's any in your area occasionally. That will certainly tucker him out! But unfortunately it's usually not a "regular" activity in most areas.

Everyone already had some great suggestions for re-crate training and making that a more positive experience, so I won't touch on that. Make sure though when you come home, that you don't make a fuss over him. Ignore him for a few minutes and then calmly greet him. I guess that's all I can think of for now.

Keep us posted, and we're all pulling for you and Buddi!

[renaultf1]

Kelli - good post. Ultimately what got Ruby past her SA was adding Brando. She is a retired show dog and had never been alone. In my case though I had the time and resources and always planned on adding a second B. I think all the posts here give some great ideas - I think the behaviorist will be key.

I agree, Kudos to the original poster for not throwing in the towel long ago. SA is such a tough issue especially when you are in the thick of it.

[bcraig]

I am reluctant to even mention this suggestion because it is loaded, but our Ella was only briefly and unhappily crate trained and we just made the leap (over several days) of leaving her alone and free in the house. While her record has not been perfect, overall the change has been a huge improvement. She would rarely relax inside her crate but now that she has freedom inside the house I am pretty certain she spends 90% of her time alone curled up on her bed asleep. That is pretty much how I find her twice a day. We thought the problem was separation anxiety but it was crate anxiety. So we removed the crate. I am sure we will have regrets in the future that Ella cannot be easily placed in a crate, but on a daily basis I think it may be worth a try.

My experience with Ella is that her destructive behavior occurs when WE ARE HOME and not paying enough attention to her. When she is alone she rarely causes trouble. My friend's Basenjis are the same way and are also not crated. She is the one that gave us the inspiration that a Basenji could be trusted. Of course, we do our best to basenji-proof the house before we leave to take care of known trouble spots. And no "goodbyes" and explanations of comfort and concern. Just walk out the door as simply as possible.

I know this is the Basenji forum and not the Labrador forum but somebody had to suggest letting the dog free in the house.

[nobarkus]

My last 2 I left alone in the house all their life as they hated the crate. I never had a problem with them as there's a dog door to get out to the backyard. The tri I have now will without problem stay in a crate 10 hours. I'm lucky as he's a go with the flow type and doesn't make a fuss or sound. I only did that for the first month as I now leave him in the backyard with the crate back there with the door open in case he wants to sleep in there.